Marco Everlasting
by Endeavor4ever
Summary: Tuck Everlasting AU. rating for mild swearing. Jean/Marco plus a few side ships
1. Chapter 1

The month was August and the town of Trost was in the middle of a heat wave. Down a well-worn dirt road, there was a spread of woods to the left and farther down yet on the right was a house. Though, if one wanted to give a more accurate description, the house was more of a mansion. Encircling that mansion was a wrought iron fence and within that fence is a young man of fifteen. A normal person would blanch at the thought of willingly sitting out in the sun's hot rays, but Jean Kirstein was an exception. While his home was cooler in temperature, the atmosphere was another matter. Disagreements between Jean and his parents were common, and Jean had just stormed out of a particularly heated one.

Jean didn't leave the house grounds often, if ever. Schooling was provided from tutors, and anything he could ever need was brought to him. That wasn't always necessarily a bad thing, but staying cooped up with no one but overprotective parents and the occasional visitor to talk to had grown rather dull. So there he was; crouching in the baked, dry grass by an oppressive (in his opinion) fence, chatting it up with an amphibian. Or more specifically, it was a toad.

"Hey little guy, are you hot too?" he asked it. It didn't even move. "Do you have family?" The silence continued. "If you don't, you're not missing out on anything." He sighed then looking up at the sky, "It's not all sunshine and rainbows no matter what it looks like."

Don't get him wrong though, he loved his parents. Jean just wanted to make some decisions for himself, to have someone to talk to. Someone who was not less than an inch tall with warts. They rested in peace for a while longer until Jean didn't think he could stand the weather any longer. As if in response, the small creature hopped anyway into some bushes. Jean huffed, "Thanks for nothing you useless little shit," standing up he brushed a few small blades of grass off his trousers. Just as he turned, Jean caught a figure in the corner of his eye moving swiftly towards him.

"Excuse me, but do you live here?" The older man inquired.

Jean held back a smartass reply and simply responded "yeah" in the most vapid tone he could manage. The stranger seemed unperturbed by Jean's demeanor and continued.

"Your family owns those woods," the man gestured behind him, "over there, correct?"

At this Jean became cautious. Some guy shows up out of the blue and asks about their property? Furthermore, he was wearing a dark green suit on a hot day. Who even does that? Not to mention his humongous caterpillar eyebrows. Eventually, Jean reasoned there could be no harm in acknowledging a well-known truth.

"Yeah" Jean was feeling _so_ talkative today. Dark Suit Man furrowed said eyebrows, finally catching on to Jean's tone. The man switched his line of questioning to topics that bordered small talk. It was along the lines of 'My, can you believe this weather?' or 'What are your thoughts concerning the new mayor?" and so on so forth. Jean shouldn't have felt so comfortable, but it was a pleasant change to have a conversation that didn't revolve around what he was going to do with his future.

"So have you ever seen anything… strange," he paused, raising one of his caterpillar eyebrows, "out there?"

Shaken by the sudden change, Jean felt a certain animosity towards Dark Suit Man. Jean resolved that this man was not going to learn anything more from him.

"Well if I did, why do you think I would tell you?" The young man was so done by then. The frustrations of the day caught up to him and he stalked back to the marginally cooler interior of his home. He looked back only when he was safely inside. The inquisitive stranger was still there, staring out at the trees across the road. "Damn weirdo" he muttered. Then Jean gave it no more thought. There wasn't much to tell.

That night, what Jean did think about was the woods. They _were _technically his. Why shouldn't he be able to explore them? That decided it. Early next morning Jean decided to sneak out, climb the fence and spend part of the day there. To hell with the consequences and whatever his parents would throw at him. Tomorrow Jean was going to be free.

X

The escape went without a hitch; the day was Saturday and the time five in the morning. There was almost nobody about. Jean managed not to wake anyone up and crossed the fence without falling off it or ripping something. He would have just used the gate, but it was too squeaky. On the way out he noticed the toad. Smiling to himself, he was unreasonably happy that it hadn't left permanently after he snapped at it. Munching an apple he grabbed from a tree, Jean slipped into the forest with little trepidation. Despite the heat, the forest was quite cool. The canopy provided shade and there was even a hint of a breeze. He marveled at the dense foliage. Sure Jean had been around trees, but never so many and all alone to boot.

Apple gone, Jean experimented with climbing the trees. He had done this before as a child but that had been a long time ago. Small creatures skittered in the branches overhead . At one point a thought dawned on him. He had brought nothing with him and had no idea how long he had been wandering. Long enough for him to become thirsty. Jean was disgusted with himself. How could he have been so thoughtless? Once he gets a drink he decided that it would be time to head back. The morning had been fun, but Jean's plan hadn't been thought through enough to allow for more time.

Jean stumbled around for nearly another half an hour before hearing something that might be running water ahead. Unbeknownst to him, Jean had been so focused on finding water that he stopped paying attention to where he had come from. He'd soon realize this when he thought about going home.

It was, in fact, water. It was a small spring at the base of a larger than average oak. That wasn't what (who) he was staring at though. There was someone, a male, bending over by the spring. Seemingly oblivious to Jean's presence, Jean chose not to speak up. After all, this guy was trespassing and Jean should see what he was up to and… He tried to rationalize why he was staying out of sight, but deep down he knew it was just for the view.

This had been a constant source of anxiety for him recently. Jean was… different and he knew it. Sure he still appreciated a good looking girl when he saw one, but was it wrong to think about fellow men like that too? From what he'd heard, yes. His parents… well he wasn't planning on asking them about it anytime soon.

Speaking of which, they were going to be furious when he returns and the longer he waited the harder it was going to be to talk his way out of punishment. As much as he would like to get to know this guy he really had to get back. Then again, he was really thirsty and maybe he could receive some directions… During Jean's indecision, he had shifted his weight and had managed to break a twig.

The youth froze and prayed to whoever might be listening that the other would just dismiss the noise as some forest animal. Jean never had the best of luck. The figure turned and Jean noticed he had freckles adorning his sun-tanned skin.

"Is someone there?" his voice quivering slightly, his eyes straining to see beyond the edge of the trees where the sound had come from.

Against Jeans better judgment, he spoke up. "Um, yeah." '_Smooth Kirstein' _Jean thought, mentally kicking himself_._ Jean came out from behind the tree, taking a few steps in and looking like he just had been caught talking to toad again. "I was just… taking a walk." Jean was never going to admit that he was (just a little, mind you) lost.

"Oh really?" Freckle Face had the nerve to smile, as if sensing the lie.

"Yes, really!" He exclaimed. Jean smiled innocently and tried to lean against the tree in a casual manner that would indicate his right to be there. Except that he did have the right. Freckles was the interloper. "You know, my family owns this land." It was said as more of a statement than a question.

His eyes widened in panic and Jean felt immediate guilt. That was really strange for him because Freckles _should_ be worried. Jean could report him or something. After another look at Freckles, stumbling over his words, Jean concluded that he didn't actually care. He looked like a decent person and probably didn't even know that this stretch of land was owned.

"Not like I care though" Jean added quickly fearing the young boy might get the wrong idea from his earlier statement. After a lifetime of isolation even a trespasser was a better conversationalist than a toad. The panicked look faded from the boy's face and Jean relaxed a little "My name is Jean, Jean Kirstein by the way" Jean said, the young boy started to reply but before the boy could say anything Jean stuttered out, "but most people call me Jean, you can too if you like." He could feel his face redden as he realized he had just talked over the boy. He began to apologize, but the boy had started to laugh a slow chuckle that annoyed Jean to no end. The boy stopped laughing then, and looked into Jean's face.

The boy grinned then, a slow one that spreads from one cheek into another. "Well then, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Marco, Marco Bodt." the darker skinned youth said, whilst grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "And if I'm going to call you Jean, you might as well call me Marco" Jean was mildly pleased when Marco pronounced his French name correctly.

That sentiment fell unto a awkward silence as Jean using the moment to consider Marco in greater detail, he noted that Marco was only just a hair taller than himself. Also, his clothes seemed to be a bit out of date. Jean couldn't quite verify this as he wasn't on top of the latest fashion himself. He inwardly cringed as he thought of how his mother still chose outfits for Jean to wear.

Jean's pondering led to an tense silence.

"Since you own this area how did you become lost?" Marco asked shifting his weight with a smile. _Again with the smiling_, thought Jean. It wasn't even a smirk, just genuine friendliness. That realization irked Jean to no end. He couldn't even be annoyed that this complete stranger was questioning his abilities.

"I'm not lost, okay?" Jean could at least try to sound annoyed, but at best sounded flustered; "I'm just a little… turned around, that's all" he finished with downcast eyes and a huff.

Marco chuckled. "I'm fairly familiar with this neck of the woods… that is if you want some help" he offered shyly.

Jean dragged the toe of his shoe through the dirt. "Actually-" he stopped and remembered exactly why he was there in the first place. "Actually, I was just about to head back when I heard the water," Jean continued, looking up "I haven't had any since this morning and I'm kind of thirsty." With this announcement Jean gestured for the brunette to clear the way and began to walk in the direction of the gurgling spring.

Panic once again flashed across the brunette's face.

"Wait!" Marco exclaimed, stepping in front of Jean, and blocking his path. "That's not a good idea."

Jean raised a single eyebrow. "But you were just drinking from it."

"Funny thing that," His voice trailed off and after a series of conflicted expressions Marco decided on "Well, it doesn't taste very good; you wouldn't like it."

Jean snorted at the half-assed excuse. "Marco. You were drinking for," he paused to think of a possible time, "what, five minutes?"

Marco blanched at that and began stuttering out something along the lines of "I have an acquired taste..." The taller youth hesitated and squinted, looking Jean full in the face, asking "Just how long were you watching me?"

Jean reddened. He wasn't about to admit that he'd been staring at him for well…. never mind that. Thankfully he was saved from answering by a voice coming from out of nowhere.

"Marco, who's this?" Suddenly a female of probable Asian origin was next to Marco. She stood just inside the ring of trees. Jean considered her to be beautiful, but her hard expression ruined the effect.

"Mikasa! I didn't hear you approaching." Marco smiled weakly. She stared at him harder (if that was even possible). "This is Jean and he was just leaving. Right, Jean?" Marco gave him a pointed look, his eyes pleading with Jean's own to comply. It was almost funny up until the one called Mikasa, rolling her eyes, grabbed his wrist with a grip like iron and drug Jean vaguely in the direction she came from.

"Let's go, Marco." she stated without further ado. Jean looked at Marco, silently asking what the hell was happening.

"Mikasa, wait I don't think...!" That's all Marco could say about the matter as she forced Jean to mount a horse on a path just outside the clearing with the spring.

"He's seen too much." she snapped cutting him off before he finished his sentence. Mikasa mounted the horse opposite to Jean's. Next to her was a rider he hadn't noticed before. She was blonde and her facial expression could be described as disinterested at the most. She didn't even acknowledge Jean's presence.

Marco's shoulders slouched and he smiled apologetically at Jean. Before Marco mounted up and sat just behind Jean on the horse and reached forward to grasp the reins. Suddenly conscious of the proximity of the guy he had been checking out only minutes earlier, Jean forgot about his possible kidnapping. Then the horse lurched forward and the day-dreaming youth was brought back to reality. _Idiot _he thought to himself. Jean had had a perfect opportunity to jump off and escape these strange people. Then he reflected that even if he hadn't been distracted, he probably wouldn't have gotten off anyway.

Jean had been on a horse before, his family even owned a few, but after an unfortunate incident involving one of the creatures a few years back… let's just say he hadn't taken up riding after that. Also, he had developed nervousness around them. Scratch that, it was an understatement. He was _terrified_. While the growth flew past on the barely worn path, Jean desperately hoped that Marco behind him didn't feel his change in posture as Jean leaned into Marco's incidental embrace.

X

While Jean was quite comfortable, or at least as comfortable as one could be on the back of a gigantic, terrifying creature called a horse, but he figured the arrangement was less convenient for Marco.

He turned his head so his ear was towards Marco. "Hey, Marco!" Jean had to raise his voice a bit then to make sure the brunet could hear him. "Why am I in front?"

He couldn't see Marco's face, but there was sympathy in his voice. "Sorry about that! Mikasa wanted to make sure you couldn't get away." Marco chuckled awkwardly. "By the way, the blonde is Annie Arlert." He said nodding his head in her direction.

Jean glanced then at the two other riders. They both rode quite well despite their wearing dresses. The whole situation felt surreal to him; what exactly did he know too much about and why was he letting himself be taken. _Or the real question_, Jean thought to himself, _to where was he being taken_.

"Where are we going?" They were out of his family's woods and onto a proper path by then.

"Well," replied Marco, "we're going to our cabin!" That did not make Jean feel better whatsoever. For all he knew these people were outlaws and he had found their hangout. _Perfect. You've done it know Kirstein. _ Looking ahead, Jean could just make out a figure. He was astounded that he recognized the man.

"Hey!" Jean had never got his name. "Sir, I've-" his exclamation was cut short by Mikasa.

"We're giving him riding lessons." It was a weak excuse and she seemed to know it. With a quick glance he could tell she was worried.

The man in the green suit (seriously, were green suits all he owned) merely stood and watched the two horses fly by. Maybe Jean shouldn't have been so rude yesterday. That's karma for you.

It was only a half an hour ride to their destination. The cabin was of decent size and Jean could only wonder how many of them lived there. Marco slid off the horse while Mikasa addressed a boy sitting on the porch.

"What are you doing out here Armin?" she questioned.

Armin, who had blond hair that went past his ears, replied that he didn't want to be in the house. Jean didn't quite catch the rest of their conversation because it was his turn to dismount. Mikasa shouted something and went into the home, but Jean was entirely focused on the hand Marco was offering him.

When Mikasa returned with two slightly disheveled men, Annie had already sat next to Armin and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Hey guys who's this?" Armin spoke up. He seemed a little uncertain, but friendly.

"Ask Marco." Mikasa stated. Jean made a mental to avoid her for a while; she was… tense for the lack of a better word. Marco stiffened as all attention shifted to him.

"This is Jean…" he stammered. The tension in the air was palpable.

"So what's he doing here," asked one of the newcomers bluntly. He was on the short side, but definitely the oldest there. He also was wearing a cravat. When Marco didn't answer Mikasa said that Jean had 'seen the spring'. There was a collective gasp, except from Unamused Cravat who simply raised an eyebrow.

"How much exactly did he see?" inquired the brunette standing next to the man Jean still didn't know the name of. The conversation evolved into an argument that reminded him of an inside 'joke'. They all knew what they were talking about, but Jean was left in the dark while he was simultaneously also mentioned like he wasn't standing there listening to every word. Jean started sensing that there was more to the water in the clearing than he had previously thought. What could have made it worth kidnapping him for?

"Can someone just tell me what this is all about!?" Jean shouted and then added in a quieter voice, "I didn't ask to be brought here."

"Kid's right," said Levi (Jean had gleaned that bit of information during the little argument). "He should know, but I didn't make lunch so that it would go cold."

"Oh so that's what you two were doing in there," Armin added dryly. Levi made a noise that sounded like 'tch' and walked back through the doorway. The brunette, now standing on his own, looked uncomfortable. His gaze fell on Jean. He smirked and Jean glared back. Jean didn't see how lunch with this strange group was the answer to his question, but he was hungry.

"But what about-?" Jean began, but he never finished.

"Come on," said Marco, once again his cheery self. "I think Eren and Levi cooked perch." So that's what his name was. Marco, Mikasa, Armin, Annie, Levi and Eren. He had woken up that morning barely knowing a soul and now he knew six. Albeit he knew very little about them, but Jean had a feeling that they wouldn't be strangers for very long. They all filed into the cabin; Marco grabbing Jean's hand so that he wasn't left behind. Not as if Jean was going to leave at this point. He couldn't steal a horse nor could he walk all that way. Part of him was genuinely curious about the big secret too. Mikasa was the last one in line, but stormed down the steps with a last minute apology that she was going for a walk and not to wait for her. Annie, who had been quiet for the most part, excused herself as well and followed her.

Inside, Jean marveled at how spotless the surfaces were. For a home run by shady characters in the middle of nearly nowhere, it wasn't exactly what Jean was expecting. Jean looked at Marco. Well, not all of them were shady. The late lunch went smoothly. There was a rectangular table that could comfortably seat eight in the middle of the dining area. Levi and Eren sat next to each other while Armin sat across from Marco who was sitting next to Jean. Armin and Marco had a steady conversation about things that had to be done outside later, the weather and general everyday things. On occasion Levi or Eren would add something. Jean thought he'd be able to slide by without joining in, but the girls returned halfway through. Mikasa sat on Marco's other side and Annie by Armin. As if they had been waiting for Mikasa and Annie to return, Marco turned to him.

"Jean, what exactly were you doing out there?" He questioned, his warm, brown eyes staring intently into Jean's own. He didn't quite know the answer himself. The trek was mostly a way to escape, to get away from authority; if only for a small amount of time. He couldn't say that though. Jean wasn't about to dump his personal problems on these strangers so that they would feel sorry for him or something.

"They are my woods; I was doing whatever the hell I wanted." Jean crossed his arms. Levi's hand shot across the table lightning fast and grabbed the youth's shirt collar.

"Shitty brat! Enough with the bullshit this is serious!" Jean winced but otherwise wasn't fazed.

"Hey," he retaliated, "you people dragged me into this mess. I think you should be explaining the ones explaining yourselves." Levi obviously had more to say on that subject, but Armin interjected.

"Jean, what are your views on immortality?" The inquiry caught Jean off guard.

"I'm not sure," he began slowly; "to be honest I haven't thought about it much."

Armin, who was the most willing to talk, began the story.

"You know of the war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, correct?" He inquired. Jean nodded. He did learn a few things from his tutors after all. "Well," Armin paused and took a deep breath, "we fought in it."

He couldn't believe it. Most everyone sitting at the table looked his age and Levi didn't look a day over thirty. Jean opened his mouth to say this, but was cut off.

"I know it's hard to believe, but let me continue alright?" Jean stayed quiet. "Eren, Mikasa and myself all enlisted while we were underage. Mikasa disguised herself as man to go with Eren and keep him out of trouble." At this Eren scowled while Mikasa gave a small smile. "Levi was the captain of our group when we became separated. It's a long story and frankly the details are not that important, but six of us had to find our way back."

Jean did the math and while there were six of them there, he got the feeling that they weren't all part of the group of six Armin mentioned.

"There was Eren, Mikasa, Marco, myself and two others. I can't remember their names…" he trailed off.

"Reiner and Bertholdt" Mikasa supplied quietly. An eerie silence fell upon them. Eren looked especially lost in past memories.

Armin nodded. "How could I have forgotten?" He sighed. "Except for Reiner and Bert, we had emptied our canteens. When we stumbled upon a spring you can imagine our joy."

Jean didn't think the spring was a coincidence.

"We drank as much as we could and filled our canteens as well. They had refused to drink because they worried the unknown source could give them lake fever. We were worried too, but it was either that or die of thirst. Even with our fellow soldiers water it wouldn't have lasted long." Armin ended there and bowed his head. Marco took it upon himself to fill Jean in.

"It tasted like any other water- or at least it did to me, but it _felt _different. I can't explain it; it just did." _Is he saying that there was magical water?_ Jean thought. It seemed too fantastic to be true.

"It wasn't until we went into battle did we realize exactly how that water changed our lives forever." Eren laughed humorlessly. "Forever. Ain't that the truth."

Marco resumed, "I- I lost most of my right side to a mortar explosion and Eren was missing both an arm and a leg." Jean looked at Marco as casually as possible. He was pretty sure that Marco was all there from when he had been looking at him earlier. Marco was indeed whole, yet there was a faint scar running down his forehead, cheek and mouth. Jean resisted the urge to run his finger down it.

"We should have died like so many others, like Reiner and Bertholdt, but we didn't. Given time everything grew back."

"So you're saying…?" Jean thought he understood, however, he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Marco simply stated "We cannot die," with a perfectly straight face. The young man leaned back into the chair. During the story he had been unconsciously leaning forward. "We have to move from place to place so that we aren't discovered."

"Wait a moment," Jean began slowly, "What about Annie and Levi?"

Eren scoffed and began to stand as if to yell, for the fourth time that evening might I add. Until Levi, with a smirk, put his hand on Eren's shoulder and forced the runt back into the chair hard enough that he grunted.

"About fifty years ago now," Armin began, "I was delivering some packages to a nearby town. When I met her, she was a local bar maid. One of the customers was giving me a hard time- up until she body checked him out the door. We talked after she was done with her shift. Turns out her father had been a Canadian Mountie trained in martial arts."

Annie shot a look that said 'I will burn you'. "But that's beside the point. At any rate, after that night we started seeing each other in secret. After a year," Armin said reaching over to grab Annie's hand under the table, "I was totally in love with her, and when the time came for my family to leave again, I told her about the spring. She drank and came with us. And I never regretted it for a second." Annie blushed giving Armin a smile. _About time she changed that scowl. I was starting to think it had frozen that way _Jean thought.

"As for Levi," Armin said with a sly smile, "I have a theory." Eren groaned and Levi took a sip from his cup. Jean noticed Levi held the cup strangely.

Though after noticing the look both Eren and Levi shot him, Armin managed to stammer out, "But maybe I'll just tell you later," He gave a hesitant smile in the direction of the two and apparently he found what he was looking for, because the panic on his face suddenly lessened... Jean wondered what exactly he was missing out on. By this time Eren was sporting a faint blush. Glancing past Marco, who was smiling once again, he saw Mikasa looking across the table… guiltily? His attention was diverted when the person sitting next to him gently poked his arm.

"Are you okay with all this? I know it's a lot to take in, but I hope you understand now why I had to stop you." Jean nodded slowly. "And you can't tell anyone Jean. In the wrong hands…." Marco stopped and let him fill the blanks in on his own.

For the rest of the afternoon, Jean asked them questions about the specifics of their immortality and they would tell him about people and places they had seen. Supposedly, Marco was physically only a year older than him, but had lived for about a century. Also, they made frequent visits to Trost despite the threat of discovery.

True to his word, Armin filled him in on his theory as an aside. Apparently, Levi had kissed Eren soon after he had drunk from the spring, though the two in question neither confirmed nor denied it.

"We just have no idea how much water is necessary to gain immortality; that small amount must have been enough," Armin finished. Jean was surprised for not the first time that day. Levi and Eren openly together? It went against everything he knew. Jean felt a glimmer of hope for himself.

As the night wore on, only Marco and Jean were still talking. Annie had left first and both she and Mikasa were reading books. Levi dragged Eren away when Eren and Jean got into an argument that mostly involved name calling. Armin and Marco talked about their lives before the war which prompted Jean to discuss his own. Jean had never had someone listen to him with such rapt attention before. He nodded his head at all the right times, but more than that he held eye contact. Marco would sympathize and chuckle softly when Jean said anything remotely amusing. The blond boy would do anything to hear that infectious sound again. When the sun had fully set, Armin retired to bed with Annie following close behind him. Undeterred by the late hour, they had continued talking at the dining room table.

"So Marco," Jean began, "What do you do for fun?" Marco swirled the tea in his glass absently.

"Well, it depends on your definition. I work with Eren at the bakery every day except Saturdays and Sundays; that's enjoyable. I also help take care of the animals in the barn out back. Fun for the sake of fun though? I don't know. Usually people are too busy for casual pastimes, but even with all the time in the world I'm still not sure what to do." Jean bit his lip. That wasn't the direction he wanted this to go. He thought surely someone who couldn't die would do something crazy at least every once in a while.

"What about you Jean?" Jean considered this. Staying home most of the day since he didn't have a job yet made his life dull.

"You know, this is probably the most fun I've ever had."

"Really?" Marco's tone was incredulous.

"Definitely! I'm out of the house, I went into the woods by myself and… and I'm here talking to you."

Marco absolutely _glowed. _"Thanks, I like talking to you too."

He wasn't sure how long they sat there, or why Mikasa was still awake, but what Jean did know was that he was falling asleep in the chair. Jean yawned and rested his head on the table. He wished he knew what time it was. Marco pushed back his chair and crossed the room to Mikasa. He asked her if she wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch that night. Jean couldn't hear her quiet response. A hand touched his shoulder.

"Come on sleepyhead, we need the rest." Marco told him softly. Jean struggled into a standing position. To the right and down a short hallway was a room with a single bed, a dresser and a few odds and ends. Marco reached into the dresser and pulled out two nightshirts, tossing one to Jean.

"I suppose you didn't have time to grab one before we brought you here, huh?"

Jean huffed. "Brought? It was more of a kidnapping. I swear I have a bruise on my wrist from where Mikasa grabbed me." In the time Jean had used to turn, the freckled man had already changed. Tucked under the covers, Marco chuckled.

"That doesn't surprise me." He closed his eyes. Jean changed and got into the bed as well. The borrowed night shirt smelled faintly of soap, but there was something else too. He thought it might be the scent of fresh cut wood.

"You said Mikasa had to sleep on the couch tonight. Where does she usually sleep?"

"Well, Annie and Armin don't actually live here. They have a house a couple of towns over in Shiganshina. They visit late Friday and Saturday, and return early Sunday morning because of the long ride. This means that while they stay here Mikasa has to give up her room and we share this one."

Jean's heart dropped. Were Marco and Mikasa…? It almost made sense. Levi and Eren were together (Jean suddenly became suspicious of what they had been doing when he had arrived) and so were Armin and Annie. That left Mikasa and Marco single. Marco continued speaking through Jean's reverie.

"But we couldn't have you sleeping on the couch near the door; it would be too easy for you to wander off." Feeling a little hurt he asked:

"You don't trust me?" Marco rolled over to face him.

"I do, however not everyone else does."

Before drifting into the dark fog that is sleep, Jean wondered why he hadn't asked when they were going to let him go home yet.


	2. Chapter 2

A ray of sunlight filtered in through the single window, effectively waking the blond man up. He was aware of himself clutching something to his chest. It was the pillow. Jean wondered how this had become a habit for him. The second thing he was conscious of was the chill. Sitting up, he sighed. It was no wonder; Marco was hoarding _both the blankets. _He had them wrapped around himself like a human burrito. That was, Jean thought sobering, if he even was a Jean sat up, he realized he had been hogging over half the bed. Jean smirked; _I guess we're even now_. He shivered, reaching for a blanket that must have fallen on the floor over the course of the night, wrapping it around his shoulders. The afternoons may be hot, but the mornings were still nippy. Reaching across to take one back, Jean realized he had to use the bathroom and once he got out of bed there was no going back.

He looked down at Marco, whose face was still peacefully relaxed in sleep. Jean, groaning, got to his feet and dressed in his day-old clothes. Finally, he managed to make it out the door without Mikasa hearing him. The cabin was built, well… God only knows when, so there was only an outhouse. To his confusion, Levi was waiting for him when he had finished with two fishing rods in hand.

"Have fun taking a shit brat?" Levi said with his usual unnerving scowl. He threw one of the fishing rods at Jean. Jean caught it out of the air with one hand. Levi turned "Let's get going, before you decide to spend another hour in there." Jean's eyebrow twitched. He liked Levi, most of the time, but sometimes his mannerisms were… to say the least strange. Actually rude might be a better word, and he was blunt to boot. Walking on, the young man quickly caught up to him.

"Wait, where are we going? Am I going home?"

"You'll be leaving soon, but I need to talk with you first." he said casually not looking back at Jean, and headed toward the large pond that Jean hadn't noticed the day before.

"If this is about spilling your secret, don't worry. I'm not going to-" Jean started, the look on Levi's face cutting him off.

"Not quite. Now be quiet and come on, or are you going to stand there all day horse face." Jean hadn't noticed that he'd stopped and he continued forward as he cringed from the degrading nickname Eren had given him the previous night. Levi set the rods, Thomas Chubb bait rods Jean thought, and other tackle down on a small dock. Untying a rowboat, the older man motioned for Jean to grab the equipment and take a seat.

Rowing to a deeper area, they dropped their lines and peacefully drifted in the breeze. Levi didn't say anything. As the minutes wore on, Jean became more nervous. _What in the world could Levi want? Insurance so that he wouldn't talk? Maybe Levi wasn't satisfied with his word. Maybe Levi wanted him to quietly disappear. He didn't seem like a murder, but a look at that permanent scowl on his face, and he hadn't known him for very long. Maybe- _

"How do you feel about Marco?" Levi asked staring at the place where his line had gone down.

Jean hadn't seen that one coming.

He hesitated. "Excuse me?" Jean was sure he had heard wrong.

"Marco…" Levi's voice softened, "Marco has been having a hard time adjusting to this new lifestyle. He's a sociable person by nature and hiding away doesn't change that. Having you here, someone who knows the truth about us, well, Marco's become attached to you."

"He… what?" Jean stammered.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Dammit kid, are you that clueless? Marco hasn't had a friend outside of our family of six in _twenty-seven years. _How do you think he'd react when a brat like you shows even a small amount of interest?"

"I-" Jean didn't know how to respond.

"I'm not done yet." Levi turned to face Jean better. "You just met him yesterday. Marco is almost a hundred and ten years old and he has lived through a bloody hell you can't even comprehend. What made you think you could gain his wholehearted trust in what's not even a blink in his lifetime?"

The words hit Jean hard. Sure Marco was a nice guy and he had felt… something chatting with him last night. He hadn't thought of what would happen when he left (there were a few moments where he wondered if he ever would). Would Marco still want to talk with him? According to Levi, yes.

"If it had been my choice, you would have never come here."

Levi was giving the evil eye to the young man by the end of his rant.

"Does that mean you'll let me go now?" Jean asked.

"You want to leave? Fine, but don't get his hopes up." Levi spoke with obvious restraint. He knew Levi had a lot more to say, but Jean got his point. They were going to be around long after he was dust in the ground. It would be like having a pet for Marco; loving something that was only going to die in a few short years and getting depressed when it did. Unless… A shout came from shore.

"Hey! Both the horses are gone!" Jean turned looked to the figure that was standing on the dock. He turned looking at Levi who, with a muttered expletive, brought his line in as fast as possible and prompted Jean to do the same. In a matter of minutes, they reached the dock. Only then did Jean know that it had been Marco who had shouted.

"I was going to feed them, but when I opened the door, they were gone!" Marco was on the verge of sounding hysterical.

"Calm down. You know one of them is Annie and Armin's, are you sure the other-" Levi said, looking slightly agitated himself.

"Yes! I mean, I'm mostly sure. I don't know. Maybe it's in the pasture?" Starting to doubt himself, he looked rather sheepish. Sighing, Levi tied the boat off and said he'd check it out for himself. Jean attempted to get out too but his foot caught on the edge. The result was a very wet young man.

He brought his head out from under the water, "dammit!" Jean couldn't be sure, there was water blurring his vision, but Levi _might _have smirked at his blunder as he walked away.

"Jean! Are you alright?" If he wasn't wet and cold, Jean would have enjoyed the concerned face Marco gave him.

"Yeah, just surprised." The water was higher than his knees and he put his hands on the dock to pull himself out. Marco extended a hand, helping Jean into a sitting position on the edge.

"Well that was a pleasant way to start the day." Jean said with mock optimism and gesturing to his dripping self.

Marco nodded his head absently until he exclaimed, "Jean, you're brilliant!"

"I know, but what does that-" His brain stopped responding as Marco started to untuck his shirt from his breeches and pulled it off. "Um, what are you doing?"

Marco kicked off his footwear. "Remember what you said about having fun last night?" He jumped into the water, giving Jean no time to respond. "Come on!" He tugged on Jean wrists, inviting him back into the water. He couldn't help but notice a scar on Marco's chest on the right side; Jean felt awkward about bringing the topic up though. He would bet anything that the scar was from a knife.

"Wait, do you mean you want to go swimming?" Jean had been slightly distracted and had to clarify.

"Is that not okay?" Marco looked crushed and Jean had a difficult time saying no to that face.

"It's just that -don't laugh- I don't know how to swim."

"That's ok, I'll help you." Marco had his heart set on this, so Jean took off his own shirt and shoes. Jean was led a ways out until he could just touch the squishy pond floor with his tiptoes. The water lapped against his neck, slowly squeezing the air out of his lungs. He wanted to tell Marco that this was a bad idea, but if he opened his mouth Jean felt like the water would come rushing in.

"Jean. Don't panic. That's the first step." He gave Jean a reassuring smile. "You need to be able to stay upright and above water. Move your arms like this," he demonstrated, "and kick your legs. See? You got it." Jean did have it. The movement almost felt natural.

By late afternoon, they were swimming and splashing each other like young children. The only reason they stopped was that Jean was becoming as red as a tomato. Marco, having darker skin, just tanned nicely. Not to mention they were both starved.

"Hey, Jean." Marco said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad we spent this time together." He met Jean's gaze and smiled brightly.

"Me too." Jean replied, scratching his chin. He was by just how much he actually meant it.

He looked off into the distance just as a splash of water hit him in the side of the head. He turned toward Marco, reaching up to rub the water out of his eye.

"Marco what the …" Jean started but his voice slowly diminuendos when he heard Marco's laughter. He looked at Marco who about eight feet away and was drifting backwards toward the shore with a smile wider than the one he had the day they had met.

"Last one to the shore's a rotten egg!" He yelled to Jean.

Jean muttered some profanity under his breath before exclaiming, "Oh, it's on!" Having been kept within the compounds of the house grounds most of his life; Jean had nothing on the tanned boy's muscular body and experience in the water.

The result was inevitable. Marco pulled himself out a full fourteen seconds before Jean, who was breathless and exhausted. He flopped on the ground, watching the tree leaves above. Marco, seeing Jean, walked over and bent to hang his face above the other boy's. He beamed, announcing his victory with amusement.

"I guess that would make me the rotten egg then wouldn't it," replied Jean with a smirk. The older boy chuckled at that and settled down beside Jean.

"It sure does." The bright sun had already started to dry them out.

"Hey Jean, I-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a new arrival.

"We can't find Bean," stated Mikasa. Her face was blank, but her feet shifted nervously. It took Jean a couple of seconds to figure out what she was referring to.

"The horse?" he asked curiously. Who the hell names a 'Bean'?

She nodded and continued, "Levi asked me to tell you that 'unless you want to want to walk the whole damn way,' there's no chance of you returning today." His mind blanked. The horse is gone, he was in the middle of _nowhere, _and nobody knew where he is. Would he have to wait a whole week until Armin and Annie came back? Marco must have noticed his worried expression.

"It'll be fine Jean. I'm sure we'll figure something out." Marco tilted his head slightly and put on a brave smile; he hadn't thought that Jean was going to leave so soon.

"If you say so…" Jean drawled enthusiastically. Marco lightly punched his shoulder.

"I do say so."

X

The sky was still dark. Birds were not even chirping yet. The chestnut colored horse trotted along and the man with the green jacket and caterpillar eyebrows was nearing his destination. He had it all figured out. The search party would never think to look for the kid way out there; only he knew the location. It's simple: convince Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein how much danger their heir is in, and that he would tell them where he is in exchange for a small piece of land. Like the unused wood across the road.

He knocked on the door...

X

They passed the rest of the day doing chores. The livestock- chickens, a cow and a few pigs- needed to be fed and their pens cleaned out. Levi also insisted that Eren, Marco and Jean cut firewood and tend to the garden. Jean thought it sounded simple enough, but once again, his sheltered upbringing left him unsuited for the tasks. Eren and Marco split the wood while Jean carried as much as he could to the cabin deck. Then the garden was more like a freaking field; rows of corn, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and the list continued. Marco explained that they grew so much because they either canned it for the winter or sold the surplus. It took three hours to weed, water, and maintain. The watering bit especially important during the summer heat. Jean wondered how Levi and Mikasa were faring with the cleaning and cooking.

With only a few breaks for lunch, water and rest, they worked through the day. Though, 'worked' may not be the most accurate word. It seemed to Jean that the three of them got distracted easily. Eren had carelessly tossed a weed he pulled and it landed in Jean's golden hair. Jean returned the favor and the situation went downhill from there. That was only one of their many antics, but Marco usually brought them back on track (when he wasn't participating himself that is).

For the last task of the day, they were to do laundry; 'they' meaning Jean and Marco minus Eren, because he had slipped off somewhere. Jean found it odd that Mikasa didn't do the washing, but Marco explained that their little family could care less about society's ways of doing things. Levi and Mikasa usually did indoor jobs and he and Eren did outdoor work when not at the bakery. Jean also questioned him about why they were not at church; Jean's family always went on Sunday. Marco answered his question with a question.

"Do you believe in a God, Jean?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied automatically. Jean couldn't believe they still used a scrub board for washing clothes. Talk about out of date.

"Well I don't." Jean paused his scrubbing. "Why would any God curse us to this possibly endless existence where we can't go to heaven or hell? Where we continue on without meaning, or purpose." During this, the brunet's scrubbing had become more frustrated. "I've never gotten the answer from any church."

It had slipped Jean's mind that his new friend was immortal. The concept was just so difficult to grasp. Even though death felt like a long way off, he knew it was inevitable and Jean thought about the topic often during his darker moments. But never passing on at all? He couldn't decide if dying or living forever would be better.

It was saddening for Jean to see someone look so frustrated, to see his wall of good humor broken down, to see the brightest smile in the world clouded by distress. The blond had thought that he had been the one in need of friend and now the tables had turned. Jean had no idea how he could ever comfort Marco, but he was damn well going to try.

X

The meal was a silent one. Levi and Mikasa were naturally quiet, Marco was still in a dark mood, and Eren and Jean didn't feel like talking to each other. Jean chewed and tried not to think too much. In a perfect world he might be able to stay with this misfit family. But the world is not perfect and he had his own _real _family. They may get on his nerves more often than not, but he still missed them. Jean thought of his younger cousins. They didn't visit often and when they did, he enjoyed playing with them. He thought of a million other things about his life that he never thought he'd miss.

Jean also wanted to be with Marco. Decisions had to be made though and Jean wanted to avoid them for as long as he could. There was a knock on the door and the choice was now out of his hands.

"Who in the world could that be." Levi grumped. Jean felt Levi's question was not a question, but more of a statement; he didn't know what made him think that. It almost seemed as if Levi was expecting someone to knock. Eren, eager to do something since he had already finished, practically ran to the door. Opening it carefully, he peaked at the new arrival and gasped.

"What are you doing here," Eren growled, recovering from his surprise quickly. The newcomer answered and once, Jean might have been grateful for his appearance. Now his familiar voice filled him with dread.

"Not what one might think," began the Man with the Green Suit. "Is the Kirstein boy available?" _I almost can't believe this. How in the world did he find me?_

Dinner was forgotten. Everyone rushed out; seemingly determined to keep the man out of their home. Trailing hesitantly behind, he wondered how they knew the man. Everyone but the man had filed out on to the porch, while he had been demoted to the dying grass.

"Calm down, I'm just here to make a deal." His luscious eyebrows raised a bit as he smiled.

"We don't want to take any part in one of your deals Smith, you bastard." Levi's voice was dangerously low and he looked pretty scary. _More than usual_, Jean thought.

The man, Smith, was completely at ease. "You might want to reconsider. The sheriff is already on his way." He paused to let the new information sink in. Maybe Jean could plead that he came willingly, but he knew no one would believe it. "Would you rather be arrested for kidnapping or let me deal with Hannes? Either way, I still get the boy."

"Nobody 'gets' me," all eyes turn to me, "It's my choice and I'm not going back with you." The blond noticed a pressure on his right hand. He didn't glance down, but Jean was sure Marco was the one holding it.

"On the contrary, I spoke with your parents. They were quite worried."

"Then go back and tell them I'm fine, that I'm not coming back." Smith was about to reply when Eren yelled "Bean!"

And there was the horse, standing in the open like it had never been gone. Eren brushed past Smith to Bean and began to pet it.

"You stole the horse?" Mikasa asked angrily. Erwin nodded.

"I had to make sure you couldn't leave, that would have spoilt my arrangement."

"Arrangement?" Levi spoke quietly. Marco still hasn't said anything since the arrival of Smith. Again, Jean wondered what Smith had done in the past to make them so resentful of him.

"Ah, I haven't told you yet have I? We'll, to put it shortly, Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein has offered me a chunk of land in exchange for his," he nodded in Jean's direction, "whereabouts." That got Marco's attention.

"You don't mean…?" His brown eyes were as wide as could be.

"After years of searching, I've finally estimated where your little secret is." Jean wasn't surprised Smith knew about the spring too.

Levi began to yell, which startled the horse. At this point the blond lost interest in the argument and was more curious about the past.

"Hey, Marco? What's up with this guy?"

Marco sighed. "Nothing good… he's been trailing us for maybe a decade now. He's the second reason we've had to move around so much. Erwin Smith has always wanted the spring's power and has made our lives very difficult."

Eren had calmed Bean down and returned him to the stable.

"Ever since he found out that 'fountain of youth' is real and we knew its location, it has been even more dangerous. It would be bad enough if he got it, but imagine if he sold the water?"

There's a moment of silence before Jean asked: "How'd he find out?"

"Did you happen to see my knife wound while we were in the pond?" Jean nodded. "That was him. Smith was shocked when I didn't fall over and die." Marco laughed humorously.

"That's... rough." He wasn't sure how else to respond.

"Yeah but-"

At that moment we both heard an awful _crack_. In the time they were talking, Levi had found a piece of farming equipment and whacked Erwin-who was now lying on the ground- upside the head with it. Marco and Jean were not quite sure what had led Levi to do that, but it's highly unfortunate because Sheriff Hannes had chosen that exact moment to show up. He rode up on an old grey mare and a mule trailing behind it. Shock was evident on his face as he stared at the inert body, Levi, and finally Marco. Mikasa had left to tell Eren what was going on.

"Marco… what happened here? Are you the ones behind Jean's disappearance? I don't understand…." Hannes shook his head, probably thinking he didn't get paid enough for this. The town's opinion of Sheriff Hannes was that he was lazy and usually drunk or just straight up incompetent. He wasn't the best person to send out to deal with immortals that were willing to do anything to keep their secret, but it worked in their favor.

Marco and Levi were at a loss for words too. Levi couldn't claim self-defense; besides the bribe for the land, Smith was totally within his rights. The only way to explain what had happened over the last two days would be to tell Hannes about the spring. Marco tried his best though.

"Well, you see sir…. Jean and I are good friends. His visit here was impromptu and then our horse went missing. It's all a big misunderstanding. Levi here, he… um…." he faltered. Hannes was kneeling by Smith and checking the damage.

"Quiet, Marco." Levi spoke, "I'll take full responsibilities for my actions."

"Mister…?" inquired Hannes.

"Just call me Levi."

"Alright then, Levi. Mr. Smith's condition is deteriorating rapidly. I might have been able to let you off the kidnapping charges, but not for attempted murder. And, if he doesn't get medical attention soon, you will be charged with actual murder."

Levi bowed his head. "So be it."

The sheriff motioned for him to drop the weapon and turn around and then handcuffed him while they watched helplessly.

"Normally I'd stick around and ask a few more questions, but Mr. Smith has to get to the doctor's. Come along, Jean."

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Marco helped Hannes carry the unconscious man into a small cart that they hooked up to the mare. Levi was placed on the mule and Jean was expected to sit behind the sheriff. It was going to be pushing the weight limit, the horse was pretty old, but it would have to make do.

Of course, it did not go quite that smoothly. Eren had rushed out, ready to beat Hannes up over taking Levi away. Mikasa held him back and Hannes said he'd let them say their goodbyes as long as Eren promised to behave. He and Eren hugged as best they could with one of them handcuffed. Then Mikasa apologized for not telling them she had recognized Erwin on the road a couple of days ago. She had not wanted to worry them in case she had been wrong.

Jean knew it was irrational, but he couldn't help feeling that he had caused all this. Maybe if he had not wandered off, the man in the green suit wouldn't have found this little family in the woods. His worrying was cut short by Marco, who was squeezing him to death.

"Hey, lighten up man, I can't breathe."

"Please say that we'll see each other again." Marco whispered in his ear. Jean replied that of course they would and that he had never met anyone like him before. Then Marco gave him a kiss on the cheek so fleeting Jean thought he might have dreamed it.

The blond was slightly surprised by Marco's actions and there was so much more he wanted to say. Like how he felt about the other and how cute his freckles looked when he was blushing. But Hannes was already yelling at them to hurry up or else Mr. Smith was going to die. From what Jean been told about him, he wasn't too upset by that possibility.

X

For the next few days, Jean wasted away in his bedroom. His parents would not let him out of the house nor tell him how Levi's trial was going. Jean did hear that Erwin Smith had died though and was secretly happy about that. The key to immortality would be safe, for now at least.

On the morning of the third day after leaving the cabin, there was a faint tapping on the bedroom window. Low and behold there Marco was; throwing pebbles at the window. Jean was overjoyed at seeing Marco until he saw his face. His normally shining brown eyes were dull, complete with dark circles underneath. Marco looked like someone in trouble. Pushing open the window and looking down, he reflected on how unfortunate it was that the room was on the second floor.

"Jean! I need you; they're going to hang Levi!" Marco whisper-shouts as loud as possible.

"Hold on a second!" He felt like this is going to be a long conversation that shouldn't be announced to the world, so Jean snuck downstairs and out of the house. A servant saw him, but didn't try to stop him. Running out the door and into the lawn, there was no one there. Suddenly, a hand grabbed Jean's arm, pulling him behind a tree that just barely hid a body from the manor's windows.

"Marco! What the hell?" Yelled Jean.

Marco made a 'shh' sound and explained the situation. Levi had been found guilty of murder and was going to be hung the next morning.

"That shouldn't be a problem though," Jean relaxed, "You guys are immortal right? Levi will be fine." He couldn't believe Marco forgot that. Hadn't he just told him that he had survived a fatal knife attack only days ago?

"Jean, you don't understand! This will be a public event. The whole town will witness Levi miraculously _not _die from a snapped neck. How do you think they'll react?" Marco was right. It would not matter that Erwin Smith had died, people would know there was something different about them and Marco would move away. They might never meet again. Jean sighed.

"So what do you need me to do?" He would do anything to help, anything so that Marco didn't have to leave and start his life over again. _It may not be much, but he works at the bakery. He knows people there, he knows people around town. Marco knows me. To move to an entirely new place would be devastating. _

"Take this." Marco handed him a small, glass bottle filled with a clear liquid. "It's the water." Seeing Jean's shocked expression, he backtracked. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to…. It's just that I don't want to have to say goodbye forever." The last part was barely audible. _No no no no. He can't go. _

"Marco…" Jean pleaded.

"Jean, please. Just think on it. We are breaking Levi out tonight and are not sure where we are going just as long as it is far away. There will be wanted posters; we can't return for a very long time." Marco was staring at the ground; a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Jean looked at the bottle. It was so plain and normal looking, but to think that it could change his entire life… He made his decision instantly.

"Marco," Jean began, more firmly this time, "I-"

Jean truly did have the worst of luck. The servant from earlier had alerted his father.

"Son! I know you're out here, answer me!" He shouted, banging the door open. Marco never let Jean finish his sentence. He leaned closer, tilting his head downward to give Jean a chaste kiss on his forehead.

"One day I'll return, Jean." Quickly he ran across the lawn, vaulting over the fence. Jean hoped his father hadn't brought out his gun and thankfully he hadn't.

"Jean, who was that?" Head hung low; Jean replied that he was just some friend of his. To his surprise his father left it at that and questioned no further.

He wasn't able to sleep that night, not while knowing that the jailbreak was happening. Jean wanted to go down there and help, but it would only make things harder. If he went he'd have to tell Marco goodbye. Forever. Saturday and Sunday had been an eye-opener for him and he wished it could have lasted longer. Not only did he like Marco, but also Levi, Mikasa, and even Eren. Armin and Annie seemed like nice people too. Though if he took Marco up on his offer, that's all his life would be. And their lifestyle wasn't all fun and games, Jean knew that now. People like Erwin Smith would always be after them.

To top it all off, Jean did not want to hurt Marco. Like Levi had told him, Marco obviously felt something for him. Unfortunately for Marco the feelings were not entirely reciprocated. He was a great guy, but they had known each other for a few days. Jean couldn't imagine basing his future on someone he barely knew He felt bad about the day Marco would come back. Maybe he'd be over Jean by then.

Sleep never found him that night.

X

The late September air was cool and damp; it had rained the day previously in Trost. A young man with a leather jacket and his dark brown hair tied back into a small ponytail was racing along on a motorcycle that he had kept running since the end of World War II. He reflected on how the town had changed between the years 1908 and 2005. Trost had grown in size; there were more buildings, businesses and people. The roads had been paved and where there had been forest were fields.

Down a certain road, the old mansions were still standing. Far down and to the right was a mansion familiar to him. The trees had grown and the wrought iron fence was rusty and crooked, but Marco could fool himself into thinking that maybe it hadn't been ninety-some years since then. Since he had been named an accomplice to the murder of Erwin Smith and had traveled across the country under a fake id. Since he had left his love behind, hoping that one day they might meet again. That chance was becoming slimmer by the minute as he realized that Jean would have had to gone into hiding as well. The cabin was long gone and so was the spring, the only place Marco could think to check was the mansion. Perhaps Jean had left a message or the current knew generally where he had gone.

The motorcycle parked, he headed toward the first person he saw who appeared to be a gardener in his late 50's.

"Hello sir! May I ask you a question?" Marco called across the grounds. The man looked up from his pruning.

"Sure! Come on in." The gate squeaked as it opened and they met halfway. "My name's Connie."

"Marco."

"Nice to meet you." They shook hands. "What's your question?"

"Does the name Jean Kirstein mean anything to you?"

"Mhm. I was just a teenager when I began working here. Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein were wonderful people. Unfortunately, they passed away, oh, forty years ago." Marco's heart sunk. He knew that this had always been a possibility, but it still hurt. "You ok, Marco? You don't look so good."

"No, no I'm fine. Do you know where I could find him now?"

"First go that way," Connie pointed in the direction Marco had come from, "take a left on Maria and a right on Rose. Can't miss it."

X

Five minutes later, he was standing in a cemetery. The gravestone he was looking for took some time to find, but he managed.

_Jean Kirstein_

_1893-1966_

_Loving husband and father_

Marco didn't feel as sad as he thought he would have. Seeing Jean again would have been amazing, but he was glad Jean had moved on and made a life for himself. A grave next to his suggested that a woman named Sasha had been his wife. She had died not two years after him.

At the very bottom of the headstone was a quote, he almost missed it.

"_I never forgot you Freckles"_

"I never forgot you either, Horseface." Marco chuckled; Eren still used that nickname to refer to Jean. _Leave it to Jean to get the last word in, even after death_, Marco thought. He sat on the stone, finding it preferable to the soggy grass. "You don't mind do you?" There was no one else visiting at the moment, though they probably wouldn't have questioned his one-sided conversation. "I'm glad you didn't wait for me. I wouldn't wish this life on even my enemies and I'm sure you had a lovely time with Sasha."

There was a lull to the monologue. The cemetery was in total silence other than Marco's shuffling feet. "I'm two-hundred and seven now. Just in case you were wondering." He never let the lack of a response discourage him. With all of time until the end of the world to spend, a day talking to the open air was nothing. He spoke of everything he had done in the past; starting with the day he left. From being drafted in World War I to traveling abroad, Marco remembered it all. Levi, Eren and Mikasa were mentioned too.

When the sun was setting at the end of the day, he resolved that it was time to leave Trost once again. Marco stood up, brushing non-existent dirt off his pants to stall his departure. What happened next was straight out of a romance genre film in his opinion. A breeze had picked up, but it seemed to be localized. Rustling just his clothes and chilling his cheeks before it dissipated. Though Marco did not believe in ghosts, he smiled nonetheless.

It was time for him to move on.

* * *

><p>Also on AO3: works/3101267/chapters/6719063

Co written by my good friend kaneki-kendidnothingwrong on tumblr more details on AO3


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